Rules and Regulations

Special thanks to Ninkasi Sponsor Samuel Adams.

The National Homebrew Competition (NHC) continued to raise the bar with a record 7,823 entries in 2012. The NHC remains the largest beer competition in the world! A total of 95,319 homebrews have been judged in the 34 years of this competition. This competition is an enormous undertaking, which would not be possible without the tremendous dedication and support we get from the competition sponsors, volunteers, judges, and stewards whose hard work and enthusiasm for homebrewing has made the competition a success year after year.

New For 2013

Immediately after the conclusion of the 2012 NHC, the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) Governing Committee’s Competition Sub-Committee (visit AHA Governing Committee) began evaluating the competition in an effort to improve it.  Based on input received from NHC entrants, judges, and organizers, the sub-committee has enacted several rule changes for 2013.

Judging Centers

The Canadian qualifying competition has been replaced with an additional U.S. judging center. There are a total of eleven (11) NHC First Round Judging Centers in the U.S. for the 2013 competition. All entrants, including Canadian and other international entrants, must choose one of the eleven (11) Judging Centers to which to send all of their entries.  See the 2013 Judging Center locations.

Choose your Judging Center when you register your entries online.  You may only enter and send your entries to one Judging Center.  Each Judging Center has a 750 entry limit.  Once a Judging Center reaches the 750 maximum, the entrants will not be able to register any additional entries.

Number of Bottles Required in the First Round

To improve the quality of judging, the number of required bottles has been increased. Send two (2) bottles for each entry in the first round to the First Round Judging Center.  One bottle is used for the score sheet judging, the second bottle will be used for entries advancing to the mini-best-of-show judging to determine the category winners.

Entry Limit Per Entrant

This year, an entry limit is being implemented per homebrewer to allow for more homebrewers to participate. The maximum number of entries per entrant is 15.

Ninkasi Award Tie-Breaker Changes

The tie-breaker rules for the Ninkasi Award have been changed and expanded this year.  See the Ninkasi Award description on the Awards page or in the 2013 NHC Rules & Regulations for details.

Entry Fees

The entry fees for 2013 are $12 per entry for AHA members and $17 per entry for non-members.

 

Index

PART I - How to Enter This Competition

PART II - Instructions for Registering Your Entry

PART III - Judging & Awards

Part IV - Entry Location  Information

PART V - Sponsors

PART VI - Category Listing

 

PART I – How to Enter This Competition

1. What kind of bottle is required?

BEER, MEAD, and CIDER entries must be in bottles that hold a minimum of 10 ounces in volume, and that will fit in a standard case box slot.  The measurements of a standard case box slot are 2.75 inches long x 2.75 inches wide x 9 inches high (7 cm x 7 cm x 22.9 cm).  Bottles may be of any color and must be free of ink, paint, or paper labeling other than competition entry label.  Obliterate any lettering or graphics on the cap with a permanent black marker.

Bottles with Grölsch-type swing tops and 22 oz Bomber bottles are not allowed.

Corked bottles and odd-shaped bottles are acceptable as long as they can fit in a standard case box slot (2.75 inches L x 2.75 in W x 9 in H; 7 cm x 7 cm x 22.9 cm).  Bottles with raised lettering are acceptable if they fit in a standard case box slot.

Bottles not meeting the above requirements will be disqualified.

2. How many bottles do I need?

Send two (2) bottles for each entry competing in the First Round. One bottle is used for the score sheet judging, the second bottle will be used  for entries advancing to the mini-best-of-show judging to determine the category winners.

Three (3) additional bottles will be required for each entry that advances to the Final Round competition in June. One bottle is used for the score sheet judging, the second bottle will be used for entries advancing to the mini-best-of-show judging to determine the category winners, and the third bottle will be used for the best-of-show beer, mead, or cider if your entry placed first in its category.

3. What are the entry fees?

For U.S. and international entries, including Canada, AHA members pay US$12 per entry; non-members pay US$17 per entry.

•    AHA Membership: AHA members receive a US$5 discount from the non-member entry fee.  If you would like the entry fee discount, please renew or join the AHA when you pay for your entries.  The discount is automatically applied to your entry fees during checkout.
•    Online Payment: Entry fees (and if applicable, AHA membership dues) must be paid online using a Visa, MasterCard, or American Express card at the time you register your entries online. 
•    Final Round: There is no additional fee for entries advancing to the Final Round.
•    Entrants with entries advancing to the NHC Final Round will receive Final Round entry instructions and bottle labels from the AHA via email by May 24, 2013.

4. When are the entry deadlines?

•    All First Round NHC entries must be received at the appropriate Judging Center between Monday, March 18 and 6 p.m. MDT on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. 
•    Final Round entries must be received at the Final Round shipping site between Monday, June 3, and 5 p.m. EDT Monday, June 17, 2013.  If your entry advances to the Final Round, additional instructions will be e-mailed to you by May 24, 2013.

5. How do I enter?

Go to the Online Entry Registration (available at 1 p.m. MST on Tuesday, February 26, 2013), or directly to your competition choice.

U.S. and International Entries (including Canada)

a)    Create your login account using the Online Entry Registration (available at 1 p.m. MST on Tuesday, February 26, 2013). You will need to create a login account even if you have entered the NHC in previous years.  Be very careful not to have any typos in your login!

b)    Choose a Judging Center for your entries.  You must send all of your entries to the same Judging Center.  There are eleven (11) Judging Centers in the U.S. from which to choose.  See Entry Shipping/Drop-Off for the Judging Center locations, or refer to the map with the information in the March/April 2013 issue of Zymurgy.

c)    Judging Center Entry Cap – To ensure the integrity of the judging, each Judging Center is capped at a maximum of 750 paid entries.  If the cap is reached for a Judging Center, no more entries will be accepted for that Judging Center.  If the Judging Center you wanted to send your entries to is closed, you must choose a different Judging Center to which to send your entries.  It will not be possible for entries to be registered in a Judging Center location once the entry cap has been reached.

d)    Register each entry. Be sure to include any additional information required (see Part II – Instructions for Registering Your Entry).  If you have a valid Free Entry Certificate, be sure to enter the Certificate Number or Competition ID before you check out.  Your shopping cart total will be automatically reduced for each certificate entered.  You MUST include any Free Entry Certificates used with your entries.
NOTE: If you have entered the entry information but do not pay the entry fee within 24 hours, your entry information will be deleted from the system.  When you have paid the entry fee, your entries are officially entered in the competition.

e)    Entry Limit per Entrant– Each entrant may register up to 15 entries maximum.

f)    Pay for AHA membership when you checkout.
Select AHA Membership when you checkout, and the AHA member discount for your entry fees will be automatically applied to your bill.

g)    Pay for your entries.
Pay online for your entries after you have registered the entries you will be sending to the competition.
NOTE: When you have paid the entry fee, your entries are officially entered in the competition and they count against the 750 entry limit for the competition.  If you have entered the entry information but have not paid the entry fee within 24 hours, your entry information will be deleted from the system.

h)    Print the labels for your entries.  Attach the labels to each bottle using a rubber band; do NOT attach the bottle label with glue or tape. Your entry will be disqualified if you use glue or tape to secure the label to the bottle.

i)    Pack your bottles carefully. (See Part III, Section H for Packing and Shipping suggestions.)

j)    Drop Off or Ship your entries to the appropriate address given on the Judging Center Locator Map found in the March/April 2013 Zymurgy. 

•    Do NOT send entries to a Judging Center other than the one you chose when you registered your entries. 
•    Judging Centers cannot acknowledge receipt of entries – arrange for a return receipt with your shipping company, if you wish to confirm delivery of your package.
•    Packages with postage due or C.O.D. charges will NOT be accepted.

DO NOT SHIP YOUR ENTRIES VIA THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE.

6. Which category do I enter?

Enter your brew in the category and subcategory where you feel it will perform best.  Judges do not see your entry form.  Judges and organizers will not classify or reclassify your entry.  The AHA National Homebrew Competition uses the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Style Guidelines for Beer, Mead and Cider, 2008 Edition. A downloadable version of the complete style descriptions is available on the BJCP website.

7. Are there entry limitations?

a)    Each entrant may enter a maximum of 15 entries total.

b)    Entrants may only submit one entry per subcategory. For categories that have no subcategories (Categories 20 and 23), you may only submit one entry. An entrant may be an Additional Brewer for a different entry in a subcategory they have already entered as the main brewer (e.g. John Doe enters an American Pale Ale, Category 10A, and is also the Additional Brewer on an American Pale Ale submitted by Jane Smith).

c)    Your homebrew cannot have been brewed on equipment used to brew beverages for any commercial purpose, whether for commercial research, production or any other purpose, including equipment at brew-on-premises establishments.

d)    You must give the names of all brewers who helped in the brewing.  (No pets, please.)

e)    No employee of the Brewers Association may enter.

f)    Judges may not judge a category they have entered, and stewards may not steward a category they have entered.

g)    There are no defined regions in which you must enter; instead you must choose a Judging Center when you register your entries. Ship all of your entries to the Judging Center you have chosen.

h)    There is an entry cap of 750 per Judging Center to ensure the integrity of the judging. If the cap is reached for a Judging Center, no further entries will be accepted for that Judging Center.

i)    If you register your entries with one Judging Center and later try to add more entries after the Judging Center has reached the 750 limit, you may not register the additional entries.

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PART II – Instructions for Registering Your Entry

Registering Your Entry Online

The National Homebrew Competition requires entrants to register their entries online using the Online Entry Registration (available at 1 p.m. MST, Tuesday, February 26, 2013).

•    The Online Registration system will be available for registering or editing entries from 1 p.m. MST February 26, 2013 to 12 noon MDT Friday, March 15, 2013.  Bottle labels can be printed until 6 p.m. MDT Wednesday, March 27, 2013.
•    You can find the link for online entry and the shipping information at Entry Shipping/Drop-Off, as well.

There is no paper entry form; ALL entries must use the online registration program.

Special Ingredients Instructions

Entries in categories 6D, 16E, 17F, 20, 21A, 21B, 22B, 22C, 23, 25C, 26A, 26C, 27E, 28A, 28B, and 28D require Style and/or Special Ingredients information.  As a general rule, these ingredients must play a role in the overall flavor/aroma/mouthfeel of the homebrew.  Conversely, a homebrew listed in a category not requiring special ingredients, should not have any special ingredients listed.

All MEAD entries (categories 24, 25, 26) must include sweetness, carbonation, and strength information.

All CIDER entries (categories 27, 28) must include sweetness, and carbonation information.

If the required information is not provided, the entry may be disqualified.

The online entry program has a 50 character limit, please use keywords and be brief in your description.  Do not use brand names, or geographic names, or any other proper names of special ingredients.  For example, instead of “Premier malt extract,” use “malt extract;” instead of “Briess pale malt,” use “pale malt;” instead of “Washington apples,” use “apples;” instead of “Colorado clover honey,” use “clover honey,” and instead of “Sitka spruce tips,” use “spruce tips.”

If you have special instructions for the judges (e.g. request that the judges roll a bottle of Belgian Wit before serving), such instructions should also be included in the Special Ingredients section.

Entries in 6D American Wheat or Rye Beer
Specify if rye was used; otherwise, wheat will be assumed.

Entries in 16E Belgian Specialty Ale
Specify the beer being cloned, the new style being produced, or the special ingredients or processes used.  Additional background information on the style and /or beer may be provided to judges to assist in the judging, including style parameters or detailed descriptions of the beer.

Entries in 17F Fruit Lambic-Style Ale
You must specify the types of fruit used in making the lambic.

Entries in 20 Fruit Beer
You must specify the underlying beer style as well as the type of fruit used. You must specify the beer style, whether it is a classic style (e.g. Robust Porter) or a general style (e.g. “porter”).  The types of fruit must also be specified.

Entries in 21A Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer
You must specify the underlying beer style as well as the type of spices, herbs, or vegetables used. You must specify the beer style, whether it is a classic style (e.g. American Wheat) or a general style (e.g. “wheat ale”). The type of spices, herbs, or vegetables must also be specified.

Entries in 21B Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer
You are not required to, but you may declare an underlying beer style as well as the special ingredients used. The base style, spices, or other ingredients need not be identified. The beer must include spices and may include other fermentables (sugars, honey, maple syrup, molasses, treacle, etc.) or fruit.

Entries in 22B Other Smoked Beer
You must specify the beer style, whether it is a classic style (e.g. Robust Porter) or a general style (e.g. “porter”). Specify the type of wood or other source of smoke only if a varietal character is noticeable.

Entries in 22C Wood-Aged Beer
You must specify the beer style, whether it is a classic style (e.g. Robust Porter) or a general style (e.g. “porter”). Specify the type of wood only if a varietal character is noticeable.

Entries in 23 Specialty Beer
You must specify the experimental nature of the beer (e.g. type of special ingredients used, process utilized or historical style being brewed), or why the beer doesn’t fit an established style. You may specify an underlying beer style. For historical styles or unusual ingredients/techniques that may not be known to beer judges, you should provide descriptions of the styles, ingredients and/or techniques used.

Entries in 24-26 Mead
All mead entries must specify level of sweetness (dry, semi-sweet, sweet), carbonation (sparkling, petillant, still), and strength (hydromel, standard, sack).  If a specific honey variety was used and the varietal character is noticeable, you may specify this in the Special Ingredients field as well.

Entries in 25C Other Fruit Melomel
You must also specify the varieties of fruit used.

Entries in 26A Metheglin
You must also specify the types of spices used.

Entries in 26B Braggot
You may also specify the base style of beer or types of malt used.

Entries in 26C Open Category Mead
You must also specify the special nature of the mead, whether it is a combination of existing styles, experimental mead, historical mead, or some other creation.

Entries in 27-28 Ciders
All cider entries must specify level of sweetness (dry, semi-sweet, sweet) and carbonation (sparkling, petillant, still).

Entries in 27E Traditional Perry
You must also specify the varieties of pear used.

Entries in 28A New England Cider
You must also specify if the cider was barrel-fermented or aged.

Entries in 28B Fruit Cider
You must also specify what fruit and/or fruit juices were added.

Entries in 28D Other Specialty Cider/Perry
You must also specify all major ingredients and adjuncts.

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PART III – Judging and Awards

A. Judging

(1)  First Round judging of all entries will be done at the eleven (11) First Round Judging Centers April 5-April 21, 2013. 

(2)  First Round entries that place first, second, or third in their category with a score of 30 or better qualify for the Final Round of the 2013 National Homebrew Competition.  If any of your entries qualify for the Final Round judging, the AHA will e-mail you a notice by May 24, 2013 with instructions on how, when and where to send entries three (3) bottles per qualifying entry) for Final Round judging. Contestants are advised to refrigerate or properly store potential Final Round entries to minimize changes in character.
RE-BREWING recipes of entries advancing from First Round IS PERMITTED.

(3)  The Judging Center directors will strive to mail score sheets with judges’ comments to entrants by May 17, 2013.

(4)  Final Round judging of qualifying entries will be done at the AHA National Homebrewers Conference in Philadelphia, PA, on Thursday, June 27, 2013.

(5)  Volunteers: Judges and stewards are needed for the NHC First and Final Rounds. Qualified and interested individuals are encouraged to register as a volunteer using the Online Registration System (available at 1 p.m. MST on Tuesday, February 26, 2013).

(6)  All decisions by competition organizers are final.

B. First Round Awards

(1)  Ribbons will be awarded to the first-, second-, and third-place finishers scoring 30 or higher in each category from the eleven (11) U.S. First Round NHC competition sites. Entries must score 30 or better to place in the First Round and advance to the Final Round, although scoring a 30 or better does not guarantee advancement to the Final Round. If there are not three entries scoring 30 or better in a given category, judges will advance fewer than three entries for that category.
(2)  Certificates will be mailed and/or provided electronically to First Round brewers based on judges’ scoring and the following standards:

•    Gold-Certificate winners have scores of 38-50,
•    Silver-Certificate winners have scores of 30 to 37,
•    Bronze-Certificate winners have scores of 25 to 29
Certificates are awarded separately from the ribbons and DO NOT indicate winning first, second or third place within a category or advancement to the Final Round.

C. Final Round Awards

(1)  First-, second- and third-place winners in each category will receive gold, silver or bronze medals, respectively.

(2)  First-place winning entries in each of the 23 beer categories will compete in a best-of-show (BOS) judging. The BOS winner will be awarded Homebrewer of the Year.

(3)  First-place winning entries in each of the 3 mead categories will compete in a best-of-show (BOS) judging. The BOS winner will be awarded Meadmaker of the Year.

(4)  First-place winning entries in each of the 2 cider categories will compete in a best-of-show (BOS) judging. The BOS winner will be awarded Cidermaker of the Year.

(5)  The Ninkasi Award will be given to the entrant who accumulates the most points in the Final Round of this competition. To be eligible for the award, entrants must have at least one entry place in the 23 beer categories. Six points are awarded for a first place, four points for a second place and two points for a third place. Individual members of a group of brewers earn points as a group and do not earn points on an individual basis.

There will only be one Ninkasi Award winner. In the event of a tie for the most points in the Final Round, the following tie-breaker criteria will apply.

a)    The number of medals earned in the Final Round will be tallied, and the brewer with the most medals will be declared the winner.  If a tie still exists,

b)    The number of Gold medals earned in the Final Round will be tallied, and the brewer with the most Gold medals will be declared the winner.  In case a tie still exists,

c)    The number of entries qualifying for the Final Round will be tallied for each tying brewer, and the brewer with the fewest entries in the Final Round will be declared the winner.  In case a tie still exists,

d)    Points will be calculated for tying brewers’ entries that placed in the First Round of the NHC based on the same scale as used in the Final Round.  The brewer with the most points in the First Round will be declared the winner.  If a tie still exists,

e)    The number of entries qualifying for the Final Round will be tallied for each tying brewer, and the brewer with the most entries placing in the First Round will be declared the winner.  In case a tie still exists,

f)    The total number of entries registered for the First Round of the competition will be tallied for each tying brewer, and the brewer with the fewest registered entries will be declared the winner.  If a tie still exists,

g)    The winner will be selected using a random selection method.  A random method such as rock-paper-scissors, steel cage death match, or a coin flip will be applied at the discretion of the competition organizers to determine the winner.

(6)  Homebrew Club of the Year will be awarded to the club that accumulates the most total points in all categories of beer, mead and cider in the First and Final Rounds, as well as the AHA Club-Only Competitions. In the First and Final Rounds, six points are awarded for a first place, four points for a second place and two points for a third place.  In the First Round, a club may only receive points for a maximum of three awards per category, the highest three awards shall be counted, not to exceed a 12-point maximum.  In the AHA Club-Only Competitions, points are awarded on a twelve-eight-four basis for each of the six AHA Club-Only Competitions in the August to May cycle. For your club to receive points the club must be registered with the AHA and you must have included the club name when you registered your entries online.  Please check the AHA Club Directory to be sure your club’s AHA registration is up to date.

(7)  Gambrinus Club Award will be awarded to the club garnering the most Final Round points per total club entries (Final Round points / # of NHC entries from club).  To be eligible, clubs must have a minimum of 5 club members entering the First Round, and a minimum of 2 club members advancing to and at least one entry placing in the Final Round of the competition.  Six points are awarded for a first place, four points for a second place and two points for a third place.

There will be only one Gambrinus Club Award winner. In the event of a tie, the tying club’s points/entry will be calculated using the points from both the First and Final Rounds of the NHC ([First Round points + Final Round points] / # of NHC entries from club). Points for the First Round of the NHC are based on the same scale as used in the Final Round. The tying club with the higher points/entry value over both the First and Final Round will then be determined the winner.

For your club to receive points, the club must have been registered with the AHA before January 10, 2013 and you must have included the club name when you registered your entries online.  Please check the AHA Club Directory to be sure your club’s AHA registration is up to date. 
NOTE: New clubs registered between January 10th and March 27, 2013 will not appear in the drop-down club list of the online registration program.  If this is the case, select “Other” from the drop-down menu and type in your club’s name in the field provided.

(8)  At the discretion of competition organizers and/or judges, awards may not be given if the quality of an entry is deemed undeserving of an award.

D. AHA Membership

Non-members or expired AHA members can qualify for discounted entry fees ($12 per entry versus $17 per entry for non-members) by joining or renewing at checkout.  The discount is automatically applied to your bill when you checkout.

E. Recipe Requirement

A recipe is not required to enter the First Round; however, if your entry advances to the Final Round, you must submit a recipe.  Upon entering this competition, entrants agree to allow (at no cost) publication of their recipe by the Brewers Association or any of its divisions in any Brewers Association publication. Entrants will receive all due credit.

F. Return Policy

No entries will be returned whether received late or otherwise. All entries become property of the AHA.

G. Refund Policy

Refunds will only be given for paid entries which will NOT be submitted to an NHC Judging Center, and will be given only in the event that you request a refund prior to Tuesday, March 6, 2013.  No refunds will be given after March 6, 2013. Contact the AHA National Homebrew Competition Director, Janis Gross before March 6th to request a refund.

H. Packing and Shipping Hints

It is your responsibility to adequately pack and ship your entries to the correct Judging Center and have them arrive intact. Carefully pack your entries in a sturdy box. Line the inside of your package with a plastic trash bag. Partition and pack each bottle with adequate packaging material. Please refrain from using packing “peanuts” if possible; use bubble wrap or newspaper instead. The Judging Centers make efforts to recycle packaging material whenever possible. Do not over pack! Your package should weigh less than 25 pounds.

Read “How to Pack Your Beer,” a downloadable PDF file from Zymurgy Spring 1991 (Vol. 14, No. 1) for excellent advice on how to save time and money, and avoid broken bottles. Also refer to “The Competitive Edge,” an article about entering competitions in Zymurgy Spring 1996 (Vol. 19, No. 1). A hard copy of this article is available for free upon request if accompanied with a self-addressed stamped envelope or call the AHA at 1.888.U.CAN.BREW, (303) 447-0816; or contact info@brewersassociation.org to obtain an electronic copy.

Every reasonable effort will be made to contact entrants whose bottles have broken to make arrangements for sending replacement bottles.

It is not against any federal laws to ship your entries via a privately-owned shipping company for analytical purposes. However, IT IS ILLEGAL TO SHIP ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES VIA THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE. Private shipping carrier rules and regulations concerning the shipment of beer or alcoholic beverages vary.  We strongly encourage you to check with your shipping carrier prior to shipping your entry.

I. International Entrants

Be aware that entries shipped internationally are often required by Customs to have proper documentation. These packages might be opened and/or returned to the shipper by Customs Officials at their discretion. It is solely the entrant’s responsibility to follow all applicable laws and regulations. If you are shipping entries internationally, contact the Site Director of your Judging Site via e-mail to let them know to expect your shipment.

J. Disqualifications

Entries failing to meet requirements listed in these Rules and Regulations will be disqualified. Disqualified entries may still be judged, but will not be eligible for awards or prizes.

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PART IV – ENTRY LOCATION INFORMATION

See the Judging Center Shipping Map for the eleven (11) U.S. competitions; this is also published in the March/April 2013 issue of Zymurgy. In addition, Shipping/Drop-Off address for your Judging Center is included on the page with your bottle labels from the online registration program.

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PART V – SPONSORS

There are many fine companies who support homebrewing and homebrewers by donating resources to the AHA National Homebrew Competition. Please support the businesses that support homebrewing! Special thanks go to Ninkasi Award Sponsor Boston Beer Co.

The AHA thanks the following award and category sponsors of the 2012 NHC who made last year’s competition possible.  The category and award sponsors for 2013 will be updated as we get closer to the competition, visit Competition Sponsors.

2012 NHC AWARD SPONSORS

Ninkasi Award – Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Co)
Homebrew Club of the Year – MakeBeer.Net
Gambrinus Club Award – MoreBeer Homebrewing Supplies
Homebrewer of the Year – Muntons Malted Ingredients
Meadmaker of the Year – Redstone Meadery
Cidermaker of the Year – Woodchuck Hard Cider

2012 NHC CATEGORY SPONSORS

1. Light Lager – Five Star Products & Services, Inc.
2. Pilsner – Beer & Wine Makers Warehouse
3. European Amber Lager – How to Brew by John Palmer
4. Dark Lager – Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.
5. Bock – Washington Hop Commission
6. Light Hybrid Beer – Cargill World Select c/o Cargill Malt
7. Amber Hybrid Beer – Grape & Granary
8. English Pale Ale – St. Louis Wine & Beer Making
9. Scottish and Irish Ale – Brew Brothers Homebrew Products
10. American Ale – BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse
11. English Brown Ale – Alternative Beverage
12. Porter – Deschutes Brewery, Inc.
13. Stout – Brew & Grow
14. India Pale Ale – S.S. Steiner, Inc.
15. German Wheat and Rye Beer – Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.
16. Belgian and French Ale – Port Brewing Co. / The Lost Abbey
17. Sour Ale – Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
18. Belgian Strong Ale – Dingemans c/o Cargill Malt
19. Strong Ale – Northern Brewer
20. Fruit Beer – New Belgium Brewing Co.
21. Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer – Austin Homebrew Supply
22. Smoke-Flavored and Wood-Aged Beer – Alaskan Brewing Co.
23. Specialty Beer – The Hops Shack
24. Traditional Mead – B. Nektar Meadery
25. Melomel (Fruit Mead) – Bacchus and Barleycorn, Ltd.
26. Other Mead – Celestial Meads
27. Standard Cider and Perry – Woodchuck Hard Cider
28. Specialty Cider and Perry – Woodchuck Hard Cider

2013 NHC SITE SPONSORS

Alewife Queens, Long Island City, NY, judging
Arvada Beer Co., Arvada, CO, shipping & judging
Ballast Point Home Brew Mart, San Diego, CA, shipping
Brew Depot, Alpharetta, GA, shipping & judging
Brooklyn Homebrew, Brooklyn, NY, shipping
Communication Workers of America Union Hall, Kansas City, MO, judging
Handles Gastropub, Pleasanton, CA, shipping & judging
High Gravity Homebrewing & Winemaking Supplies, Tulsa, OK, shipping
Keystone Homebrew Supply, Montgomeryville, PA, shipping & judging
Northern Brewer, Roseville, MN, shipping
Northern Brewer, Minneapolis, MN, drop-off only
Northern Brewer, Saint Paul, MN, drop-off only
Northern Brewer, West Allis, WI, shipping
Pyramid Alehouse Brewery & Restaurant, Seattle, WA, shipping & judging
Rock Bottom Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI, judging
Roseville VFW Post 7555, Saint Paul, MN, judging
St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church, San Diego, CA, judging
Sun Building, Tulsa, OK, judging
The Local Pig, Kansas City, MO, shipping
Weasel Boy Brewing Co., Zanesville, OH, shipping & judging

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PART VI – CATEGORY LISTINGS

The AHA National Homebrew Competition uses the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Style Guidelines for Beer, Mead and Cider, 2008 Edition. A downloadable version of the complete style descriptions is available on the BJCP website. 

The following is a listing of categories and subcategories.

1.  LIGHT LAGER

A.    Lite American Lager
B.    Standard American Lager
C.    Premium American Lager
D.    Munich Helles
E.    Dortmunder Export

2.  PILSNER

A.    German Pilsner (Pils)
B.    Bohemian Pilsner
C.    Classic American Pilsner

3.  EUROPEAN AMBER LAGER

A.    Vienna Lager
B.    Oktoberfest/Märzen

4.  DARK LAGER

A.    Dark American Lager
B.    Munich Dunkel
C.    Schwarzbier (Black Beer)

5.  BOCK

A.    Maibock/Helles Bock
B.    Traditional Bock
C.    Dopplebock
D.    Eisbock

6.  LIGHT HYBRID BEER

A.    Cream Ale
B.    Blonde Ale
C.    Kölsch
D.    American Wheat or Rye Beer (Requires special ingredient  information)

7.  AMBER HYBRID BEER

A.    Northern German Altbier
B.    California Common Beer
C.    Düsseldorf Altbier

8.    ENGLISH PALE ALE

A.    Standard/Ordinary Bitter
B.    Special/Best/Premium Bitter
C.    Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)

9.    SCOTTISH AND IRISH ALE

A.    Scottish Light 60/-
B.    Scottish Heavy 70/-
C.    Scottish Export 80/-
D.    Irish Red Ale
E.    Strong Scotch Ale

10.  AMERICAN ALE

A.    American Pale Ale
B.    American Amber Ale
C.    American Brown Ale

11.  ENGLISH BROWN ALE

A.    Mild
B.    Southern English Brown Ale
C.    Northern English Brown Ale

12.  PORTER

A.    Brown Porter
B.    Robust Porter
C.    Baltic Porter

13.  STOUT

A.    Dry Stout
B.    Sweet Stout
C.    Oatmeal Stout
D.    Foreign Extra Stout
E.    American Stout
F.    Russian Imperial Stout

14.  INDIA PALE ALE (IPA)

A.    English IPA
B.    American IPA
C.    Imperial IPA

15.  GERMAN WHEAT AND RYE BEER

A.    Weizen/Weissbier
B.    Dunkelweizen
C.    Weizenbock
D.    Roggenbier (German Rye Beer)

16.  BELGIAN AND FRENCH ALE

A.    Witbier
B.    Belgian Pale Ale
C.    Saison
D.    Bière de Garde
E.    Belgian Specialty Ale (Requires special ingredient  information)

17.  SOUR ALE

A.    Berliner Weisse
B.    Flanders Red Ale
C.    Flanders Brown Ale/Oud Bruin
D.    Straight (Unblended) Lambic
E.    Gueuze
F.    Fruit Lambic (Requires special ingredient information)

18.  STRONG BELGIAN ALE

A.    Belgian Blond Ale
B.    Belgian Dubbel
C.    Belgian Tripel
D.    Belgian Golden Strong Ale
E.    Belgian Dark Strong Ale

19.  STRONG ALE

A.    Old Ale
B.    English Barleywine
C.    American Barleywine

20.  FRUIT BEER (Requires special ingredient information)

21.  SPICE/HERB/VEGETABLE BEER

A.    Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer (Requires special ingredient information)
B.    Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer (Requires special ingredient information)

22.  SMOKE-FLAVORED AND WOOD-AGED BEER

A.    Classic Rauchbier
B.    Other Smoked Beer (Requires special ingredient information)
C.    Wood-Aged Beer (Requires special ingredient information)

23.  SPECIALTY BEER (Requires special ingredient information)

24.  TRADITIONAL MEAD

A.    Dry Mead (Requires special ingredients & Mead information)
B.    Semi-sweet Mead (Requires special ingredients & Mead information)
C.    Sweet Mead (Requires special ingredients & Mead information)

25.  MELOMEL (FRUIT MEAD)

A.    Cyser (Apple Melomel) (Requires special ingredients & Mead information)
B.    Pyment (Grape Melomel) (Requires special ingredients & Mead information)
C.    Other Fruit Melomel (Requires special ingredients & Mead information)

26.  OTHER MEAD

A.    Metheglin (Requires special ingredients & Mead information)
B.    Braggot (Requires special ingredients & Mead information)
C.    Open Category Mead (Requires special ingredients & Mead information)

27.  STANDARD CIDER AND PERRY

A.    Common Cider (Requires special ingredients & Cider information)
B.    English Cider (Requires special ingredients & Cider information)
C.    French Cider (Requires special ingredients & Cider information)
D.    Common Perry (Requires special ingredients & Cider information)
E.    Traditional Perry (Requires special ingredients & Cider information)

28.  SPECIALTY CIDER AND PERRY

A.    New England Cider (Requires special ingredients & Cider information)
B.    Fruit Cider (Requires special ingredients & Cider information)
C.    Apple Wine (Requires special ingredients & Cider information)
D.    Other Specialty Cider/Perry (Requires special ingredients & Cider information)

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